Fire Safety Risk Assessment - News

A West Midlands mum has thanked Birmingham City Council for ensuring that a ‘life-saving’ sprinkler system had been installed in her tenth-floor flat, when a fire caused by an electric bike cut off her family’s only escape route out of the building. Even though 25 firefighters were mobilized and at the scene within three minutes – the sprinkler system had already brought the fire under control. Had they not been fitted, the outcome would have been very different. Import...

A fire that started on Marsden Moor is still ongoing as firefighters battle to stop the blaze from spreading.  West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) is still in attendance and has sent in relief crew to the site at Wessenden Lodge, Wessenden Road, Marsden. burnt area Currently, the burnt area measures around 2 km square, and crews are tackling hotspots where there are burning embers that could reignite the dry grass. Crews from Rastrick and Hunslet are in attendance with the Tod...

Firefighters are furthering their commitment to the environment by turning land at two fire stations into orchards and allotments for the local community.  Silsden Fire Station is already giving members of the local community access to the land for growing a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Ilkley Fire Station is following hot on their heels and has launched a fundraising drive in a bid to kickstart the planting of a community orchard. Local community initiative The spac...

These buildings are admired globally for their architectural beauty, cultural significance, and historical importance. However, when it comes to fire protection, historic buildings pose unique challenges, and they require specific fire protection measures to ensure life safety. In this article, Coopers Fire Ltd discusses the need for fire resistance measures in historic buildings and the impact fire can have on these treasured structures. Fires in historic buildings Fire safety advice and fir...

Chubb, one of the UK’s pioneering fire safety and security solutions providers, celebrated its outstanding colleagues at its annual Superstar awards ceremony last Friday, 19th May, 2023. Colleagues from across the UK and Ireland descended on the historic 12th Century Coombe Abbey Hotel in Warwickshire to celebrate their collective and individual hard work, dedication, and achievements during 2022. Glitz and glamor of the Oscars This year's theme was the glitz and glamor of the Osca...

A firefighter running the Edinburgh Marathon after a cycling accident says he’ll ‘dig deep’ to complete the race to raise funds for the charity that helped him recover. Piotr Gudan, who lives in Perthshire, had been with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as an on-call firefighter for a mere six months when he was told his arm may need to be amputated following a cycling accident. Piotr Gudan The dad-of-one, originally from Poland, moved to Blairgowrie with his new wife in...

The Big Bear Fire Department has a new way to report illegal fireworks. The new Illegal Firework Reporting System offers an easy and anonymous way to report the use and sale of personal fireworks. Anyone can now go on to the Department’s website or simply scan a QR Code and anonymously report the use or sales of illegal fireworks by completing a simple online reporting form. Fire Department Investigators will respond promptly to the reported location where fireworks are currently in use,...

In the last twelve months, the government has moved to strengthen a range of fire safety provisions in building regulations and guidance, including drawing up tougher standards on the use of combustible materials on medium-rise blocks of flats between 11m and 18m high. The changes are being brought about by the Building Etc (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022 which makes amendments to the Building Regulations 2010 and changes to Approved Document B. Changes Other aspects of the changes inc...

The German Navy is making advances in the digitalization of its core processes. For many years now, the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE has been providing scientific and technical support in this area. The Defense Technology Institute, based in Wachtberg, Germany, has focused its research on digitalization in defense and security. Now, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the Navy Command and Fraunhofer FKIE have agreed to further expand th...

FirePro and Crown Safemasters, their Nigerian channel partner, participated in Securex West Africa 2023. The exhibition took place from May 9th to May 11th, 2023, at the Landmark Center in Lagos, Nigeria. This year marked the eleventh edition of Securex West Africa, solidifying its position as the premier exhibition and conference for professionals in the security, fire, and safety industry in the region. With over 3,000 attendees, the exhibition showcased more than 150 renowned brands from 25+...

Safe Fleet: Fire, EMS, and Industrial (FRC, FoamPro, Elkhart Brass, ROM) is excited to announce the promotion of Matt Pitzer to the position of Vice President of North American Sales — Fire & EMS. With this promotion, Safe Fleet is bringing in Jason Witmier to replace Matt Pitzer as the Director of OEM and Technical Sales. Safe Fleet appoints new Director of OEM and Technical Sales Jason Witmier will be managing the Fire & Emergency OEM account sales team In his new role, Jason...

Streamlight®, Inc., a globally renowned provider of high-performance lighting for first responders, announced that it donated $21,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which included $11,000 in proceeds from sales of the company's specially marked NFFF Red Nano Light®, Red Vantage® helmet light, and Red Siege® AA lantern. Supporting NFFF via donations Streamlight earmarks $1.00, $3.00, and $2.00, respectively, from the sale of each light for the NFFF. The d...

Mighty Fire Breaker's Retail Store rollout started in Sonoma County in the towns of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Sonoma, and Ukiah, where the Tubbs Fire of 2017 killed 22 people, destroyed 5,000, and caused billions of dollars in losses. MFB delivering a product to a store in El Dorado County, where the Caldor Wildfire of 2020 destroyed over 1,000 homes in Grizzly Flats. It is also delivering to a store in Murphy, an old Gold Rush town that is close to where the Dixie Fire of 2021 destroyed most of th...

A very proud moment for GFE, as Paul Pope received a commemorative award from Brigadier General/Expert Ali Hassan Al Mutawa, the Assistant Director General of Dubai Civil Defense for Fire and Rescue Affairs. Paul Pope was presented with the award at the IFSJ Leaders in Fire & Safety Conference 2023 in Dubai in recognition of his excellent contributions to the event on the crucial matters of fire system survivability and firefighters’ welfare. Paul Pope recognized at Fire & Safety...

Mighty Fire Breaker's Retail Store rollout started in Sonoma County in the towns of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Sonoma, and Ukiah, where the Tubbs Fire of 2017 killed 22 people, destroyed 5000 and caused billions of dollars in losses. This week, (MFB) delivered products to a store in El Dorado County, where the Caldor Wildfire of 2020 destroyed over 1,000 homes in Grizzly Flats. Also delivering to a store in Murphy, an old Gold Rush town that is close to where the Dixie Fire of 2021 destroyed most of...

West Yorkshire’s first non-binary firefighter has thanked colleagues for their acceptance as they highlight the steps being taken to fight discrimination.  Tay Stevenson recently joined West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) and says the team at Halifax station, where they are based, has embraced their status and worked hard to help them settle in. Colleagues correctly use the pronouns ‘them’ and ‘they’ when referring to them.  awareness of discr...

Mark Thompson spends every day helping others during some of their worst moments.  However, Mark, who is the Control Manager for West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (WYFRS), revealed how he needed support when he and his wife struggled with their mental health, after losing two family members in a house fire. Mental Health Awareness Week This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and WYFRS is focusing on the importance of taking care of oneself and those around them. Mark Thompson r...

Staff from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue will be swapping fire helmets for swimming caps next week, as they prepare to swim the equivalent of the perimeter of South Yorkshire (170 miles) to raise money for two incredible causes – The Fire Fighters Charity and The Royal Life Saving Society. Big SYFR Swim Challenge People from across the organization, from frontline firefighters to corporate staff, have pledged that they will swim anything from 100 meters to several miles to support th...

A new publication that focuses on incidents in Greater London where fire sprinklers have helped protect our communities from fire has been published BAFSA in time for this year’s Sprinkler Week (15-22nd May). Greater London Review, provides powerful evidence of the role sprinklers play, as part of an appropriate package of fire safety measures, in reducing the impact of fire on people property and the environment. The review is broken down into three key areas: a look at fire trends in G...

Congratulations to the first recipient of the 2023 MSA Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet Giveaway, Raymond Ravare! Ravare serves his community as a Volunteer Firefighter at the Ophir Rural Fire Department in Gold Beach, Oregon, USA. The MSA Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet Giveaway, in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), gives volunteer responders the chance to experience the most innovative and up-to-date technology to improve health and safety. Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet The...

On May 11, 2023, the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing regarding ‘Reauthorizing the U.S. Fire Administration and Fire Grant Programs: Evaluating Effectiveness and Preparedness for Modern Challenges’. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Georgia Director, David Bullard, testified at the hearing on the behalf of the NVFC. The hearing provided a great opportunity for the NVFC...

NIBCO is offering its free specification review service, a one-on-one individualized resource that offers customers the opportunity to have their specifications reviewed by industry professionals to ensure that they meet the most current industry standards. Targeted to consulting specifying engineers, design-build contractors and building owners, fire protection, mechanical and plumbing specifications are reviewed by industry professionals at NIBCO to ensure that they are not outdated. Free sp...

The specialist Portsafe board has been installed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) at Aviemore's Loch Morlich and is one of the first of its kind in Scotland. coded padlock system Designed to reduce the vandalism or theft of life-saving equipment, the board uses a coded padlock system to protect a water rescue throwline contained within. In the event of an emergency, a member of the public can call 999 and quote their location. They will then obtain a code from Operations Control...

Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and Ann Kuster (D-NH) introduced H.R. 3104, the Helping Our Heroes Act. This bill would establish an “above the line” tax deduction for the time volunteer firefighters donate to their communities. Helping Our Heroes Act Specifically, the Helping Our Heroes Act allows volunteer emergency responders, including firefighters, ambulance services, civil air patrol, and search and rescue services, to treat each hour of service or training as a $20 charitable con...

At Gear Wash, the main priority is keeping the department safe and healthy by keeping gear clean and ready for the next firefight. Throughout Mental Health Awareness Month, they want to emphasize that supporting those who serve them is valuable and needed. The first way to break down the stigma of Post Traumatic Stress in the fire service is to understand what it looks like. Studies estimate that about 20 percent of firefighters will experience symptoms at some point during their...

Fire staff across West Yorkshire are putting on their running shoes to tackle the Leeds Marathon and raise vital funds for charity.  A total of 14 fire staff will be running in the race on May 14, 2023, when they will raise money for good causes including The Fire Fighter’s Charity. The Akhirah Team Another charity that will benefit is The Akhirah Team, which operates in Harehills, Leeds, and is being supported by Firefighter, Hassan Abrar. Hassan has been undertaking a difficult c...

A Cambridgeshire fire officer has celebrated four decades of dedicated service to the community. Station Commander Clive Allen, currently one of the Service’s officers working in the On-call Group, reached the milestone of 40 years as an operational firefighter and celebrated with officers and staff at Chatteris Fire Station, one of the stations he manages. He was presented with his long service certificate by Area Commander Stuart Smith. Firefighting career Clive began his firefighting...

First Response Group (FRG), a security, risk, and facilities management specialist business, has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of two new positions; Mark Mansfield joins the company as a Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Sheila Sloan as the Director of Human Resources. The Leeds-headquartered firm, which employs more than 1,200 people is forecasting revenue of more than £60 million in 2023 continuing a long run of year-on-year growth. Furthermore, it is fir...

As part of the company’s commitment to continuous improvements, Nittan Europe Ltd is working on a number of Sustainability Initiatives, in an effort to reduce their overall carbon impact for the future. In part, driven by the necessity to introduce remote working during the pandemic, Nittan initiated use of a secure managed electronic signatory platform in 2021. Comprehensive training provided to all staff members Comprehensive training was provided to all members of staff, in order to...

Kentec Electronics, a pioneering manufacturer of life-critical control systems, will showcase its latest technologies at FIREX and highlight the sophisticated capabilities of its award-winning, flagship Taktis control panel and K-Mesh's wireless fire detection system through an on-stand video.  The K-Mesh wireless detection system will take center stage, showcasing how its self-healing and configuring MESH technology delivers optimum levels of reliability, alongside ease of installation, a...